Crime & Safety

60-Foot Houseboat Sinks in St. Croix River

A private houseboat sank in the St. Croix River. Public safety officials do not know what caused the boat to sink.

A private houseboat sank in the St. Croix River in Hudson and was discovered early Friday morning.

The Hudson Fire Department was notified about the sunken boat and arrived at the scene at 4:41 a.m. A public works employee discovered the boat while making early-morning rounds, said Hudson Fire Chief Jim Frye.

Frye said the boat was docked when it sank. The top deck and most of the first deck appeared above water, according to the Hudson Star Observer

"Our biggest fear was the diesel fuel," Frye said. "We were able to put some booms to try to control the diesel, but we didn't have near enough."

Frye said a private company was brought in to finish the fuel recovery by deploying more booms and work on salvaging the boat. 

The fire department cleared the scene at 7:10 a.m. The Hudson Police Department also cleared the scene earlier this morning. As of 12:45 p.m. the private company was still working on cleaning up the river, Frye said. 

A Hudson firefighter told the Hudson Star Observer that they hoped to use a crane from the new Stillwater bridge worksite to retrieve the houseboat.

Frye said they do not know how or why the boat sank. 


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